
istone
I-STONE has opened at 326 Walnut St. in Newtonville. Courtesy Photo
Have you been on Walnut Street recently? There’s a new store at 326 Walnut: I-STONE, a boutique offering crystals, jade, essential oils, tea and similar items.
After years of being in Boston’s Back Bay, Newton resident Sean Huang and his mother, Yi Xiang, decided to relocate their store a little closer to home.
“We want to be in our community,” Huang said.
One thing he’s excited to offer is flower tea, which is a traditional Chinese type of tea where a bundle of dried tea leaves is wrapped around dried flowers.
“It’s like what Teavana had before they got bought out by Starbucks,” Huang said, adding that it’s a different flavor profile than the black or green teas Americans are used to drinking. “It’s hard to find good teas. The closest fancy tea house is in Rhode Island.”
They source the tea from Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Huang thinks tea will be a big draw in health-conscious Newton, where people are reconsidering their previous consumption of coffee.
They also offer items related to feng shui, which is a traditional Chinese energy focusing method. Feng shui practitioners believe that certain items, particularly crystals, can be used to reduce the amount of bad energy in a space. Huang said that he has a lot of interest from real estate professionals, who are concerned about the bad energy a property in a location like a busy corner might have. “Crystals are needed to absorb it,” he said.
I-STONE also sells jewelry made from crystals and other precious stones, handcrafted by Xiang. There are also people who are interested in crystals related to their zodiac sign.
Crystals in general have increased in popularity in recent years. He attributes this to the popularity of yoga.
“If you see the amount of yoga studios going in… it wasn’t like this in the early 2000s,” he said, which is when he initially opened the store at the South Shore plaza in Braintree.
Some yoga practitioners believe crystals have healing properties, and they often pair them with essential oils, another product the store sells. Essential oils are concentrated liquids derived from plants, and they’re called that because they contain the plant’s ‘essence.’
Some people believe essential oils can help to reduce stress and inflammation, although they can also cause allergic reactions and be potentially dangerous to pets, so be careful before you buy.